top of page
Leigha Stiles and her paintings.jpeg

LEIGHA STILES

Artist Statement

Leigha Stiles (b. Pembroke, Ontario) is a multi-disciplinary artist currently working in wearable sculptures and performance art, as well as painting, printmaking, and new media. Stiles is a MFA graduate from the University of Ottawa and a BFAH graduate from Queen’s University. 

​

Her work explores themes of mental health, the physical representation of mental illness, and expressive self-portraiture. After going through an episode of psychosis, she was diagnosed with a mood disorder and a year later was diagnosed with epilepsy. Through her work she represents her personal experiences with managing her mental health. 

​

Stiles has had her work exhibited in different venues including Gallery 115, Ottawa School of Art, Union Gallery, the Print Pulse 30: Travelling Exhibition, Cezanne’s Closet fundraising event, the Undergraduate Review, the Queen’s Feminist Review and Visio Magazine. 

Artist CV

Education

​

2024          Master of Fine Arts, University of Ottawa. Ottawa, Ontario.

                  Visual Arts

​

2018          Bachelor of Fine Art Honours, Queen’s University. Kingston, Ontario.

                  Advanced Printmaking. QU, 2016

                  Paint Media, QU, 2017

 

Exhibited Works

 

2023-2024   Want more?, Does this please you?, How about now?, Connective Gallery group exhibition, Picturing the Invisible. Nepean                         Creative Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON.

​

2023.           Confined, Gallery 115 solo exhibition, Ottawa, ON.

​

2023             Hey Sweetheart, Vibes. Matasi Gallery at the Ottawa School of Art, New Direction in Printmaking. Ottawa, Ontario. 

​​

2022             My Mentality, Sad Me. Gallery 115 group exhibition, Fragmented Connections. Ottawa, Ontario.

​​

2019             Raggiana. Union Gallery group exhibition, Re:Union. Kingston, Ontario. 

​​

2019             My Mentality. Kingston Coffee House, Artist of the month. Kingston, Ontario.

​​

2018            (un)wavering. BFA 18 Group Exhibition, (un)titled. Kingston, Ontario.

​​

2018             Yours. Union Gallery group exhibition, Course of Action. Kingston, Ontario.

​​

2018             Vibes. Union Gallery group exhibition, Surface. Kingston, Ontario.

​​

2017             Hey Sweetheart. Print Pulse 30: travelling group exhibition,Arts and Media Lab at the Isabel Bader Centre of performing Arts.                                Kingston, Ontario.

​​

2016             Blank. Union Gallery group exhibition, Reveal. Kingston Ontario.

​​

2016              Self-y. Union Gallery off-site exhibition, curated by Madeleine Leisk. Kingston Frameworks, Kingston, Ontario. 

​

Commissions 

 

Public

 

2021           Destinations, Apostasy, Cezanne's Closet, Union Gallery. Kingston, Ontario. 

                   Annual fundraiser for gallery, artwork donated.

​

2020           Terpenes, Chrontact Cannabis, Ottawa, Ontario. 

                   Four acrylic 3ft x 2ft paintings of terpene chemical compounds.

​

2016           Art Battle, The Royal Society of Canada, Kingston, Ontario. 

                   Acrylic painting completed in 2hrs.


 

Publications

 

2020            Yours Series, Visio Magazine volume. 1 issue. 4 

                    Kingston, Ontario. Digital and print magazine.

​

2020           Organized Chaos, Visio Magazine, volume. 1 issue. 3 

                   Kingston, Ontario. Digital and print magazine.

​

2020           My Mentality, Visio Magazine, volume. 1, issue. 1 

                   Kingston, Ontario. Digital and print magazine.

​

2019           Malasia, Show and Tell: The Art of Storytelling. Kingston, Ontario. 17, print.

​

2017           You like?, Do you like me now?, Does this please you?, How about now?

                   Collective Reflections, Volume 4. Queen’s University, Kingston. 18, 19, 85. Print.

​

2016           Barn Yard, Before, Bridge of Serendipity, Utopia, and Fairy Spirit

                   Undergraduate Review, Volume 28. Queen’s University, Kingston. 48, 58, 63, 85. Print.

​

​

Grants

 

2020            Special Merit Scholarship, University of Ottawa.

​

2015           Gerald Finley Bursary in Fine Arts, Queen's University

​

2014           William and Patricia Sheets Memorial Entrance Bursary, Queen's University.

​

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

©2019 by Style by Stiles. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page